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Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Court Judge Timothy J. Corrigan has sentenced Jacksonville residents David Lee Mitchell (60) and Hezekiah Williams (59) to 10 years in federal prison, respectively, for their role in an identity theft and counterfeit check scheme. Varying upward at the time of sentencing, both men were ordered to serve eight years in federal prison for attempted bank fraud and possession of counterfeit business checks, followed by a consecutive mandatory minimum term of two years’ imprisonment for aggravated identity theft.

A third co-defendant, Travis Ware (24, Jacksonville), was sentenced on March 9, 2016, to a mandatary minimum term of two years in federal prison for aggravated identity theft.

According to court documents, on November 23, 2014, Florida Highway Patrol troopers pulled over a vehicle occupied by Williams, Mitchell, and Ware. During the traffic stop, the troopers observed marijuana inside the vehicle. A search of the vehicle revealed 25 counterfeit business checks made out to various individuals and 15 forms of identification from 7 different people. Many of the names on the identification documents matched those printed on the counterfeit checks. Further investigation determined that Mitchell, Williams, and Ware had been driving around three days earlier, attempting to fraudulently cash the counterfeit checks and recruiting others to use the various forms of identification to cash the counterfeit checks.

This case was investigated by the Florida Highway Patrol and the United States Secret Service, Jacksonville Field Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.